| Title | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ecology |
(1) A branch of science dealing with the relationships of organisms and their cycles and rhythms, community development, and environments -- especially as manifested by natural structure,... read more |
| Economic growth |
the change over a period of time in the value (monetary and non-monetary) of goods and services and the ability and capacity to produce goods and services. It is economic growth which generates... read more |
| Ecosystem |
a community of plant and animal species that interact together along with their physical and chemical environment. (Source: IISD 2005) [ALSO] A community of organisms and their... read more |
| Ecosystem (Bioc(o)enosis, Biogeoc(o)enosis, Biogeoc(o)enose) |
(1) A complete, interacting system or unit of organisms in a space considered together with their environment, e.g., a marsh, a watershed, a lake, etc., mentally isolated for purposes of study or... read more |
| Ecosystem approach |
A strategy for the integrated management of land, water, and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use. An ecosystem approach is based on the application of appropriate... read more |
| Ecosystem assessment |
A social process through which the findings of science concerning the causes of ecosystem change, their consequences for human well-being, and management and policy options are brought to bear on... read more |
| Ecosystem changes |
see scientific facts on ecosystem change: http://www.greenfacts.org/ecosystems/ |
| Ecosystem management |
is concerned with how to manage the complex interaction of ecological and social systems in order to provide sustainable values to societies, even when scientists and managers do not know enough... read more |
| Ecosystem services/environmental services |
the services provided by ecosystems and ecological processes, including regulation of water flows and maintenance of water quality; the formation of soil, prevention of soil erosion, and nutrient... read more |
| Edaphic |
An adjective suggesting the soil complex or soil as a system. |
| Endangered species |
Species classified by an objective process (e.g., national "Red Book") as being in The World Conservation Union (IUCN) categories "critically endangered" and "endangered". A species is considered... read more |
| Endemic species |
species found only in a relatively small geographic area and nowhere else, such as Galapagos finches. [fn]Source: (USAID 2005) from "USAID Biodiversity Primer"[/fn] |
| Endemic species |
Species is endemic when found only in a certain strictly limited geographical region, i.e., restricted to a specified region or locality. [fn]Source:(EFI 2002) from European Forest Institute,... read more |
| Energy efficiency |
the percentage of total energy input that does useful work and is not lost or converted to low temperature, usually useless, heat. [fn]Source: (IISD 2005) from IISD website; http://www.iisd.org/sd... read more |
| Environment |
Environment where human beings live. Everything that affects an organism during its lifetime and includes soil, rock, water, air, along with living organisms, as well as human construction (the... read more |
| Environmental accounting |
modifying a country’s national income accounting system, from which GDP and GNP are calculated, to incorporate the monetary value of natural resources and environmental services used and depleted... read more |
| Environmental assessment (EA) |
an analysis to determine whether a proposed action will have a harmful effect on the environment; an environmental impact assessment. [fn]Source: (USAID 2005) from "USAID Biodiversity Primer"[/fn... read more |
| Environmental impact |
the net change (positive or negative) in human health and the condition of the environment that results from human actions, activities, or developments. [fn]Source: (IISD 2005) from IISD website;... read more |
| Environmental impact assessment (EIA) |
a process which predicts the magnitude and importance of effects of a proposed activity on the environment, and on human health, and establishes conditions under which the activity may be... read more |
| Environmental services (ES) |
see ecosystem services |